Opinion:
¶ “The State Of The Union Address About Climate We Wish We Had Heard” • As President Biden delivered the 2022 State of the Union address, many of us summoned our inner speechwriter selves and imagined a different presentation that more precisely confronted the looming climate crisis. So here is that wishful 2022 State of the Union address. [CleanTechnica]
Glacier National Park (Andrew S, Unsplash)
¶ “Could the Ukraine conflict cause one of the world’s worst nuclear disasters?” • The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency said on March 2, “The situation in Ukraine is unprecedented … It is the first time a military conflict is happening amidst the facilities of a large, established nuclear power program.” [Renew Economy]
¶ “Heat Pumps For Freedom, And Other Thoughts From Bill McKibben” • Bill McKibben has a blog called The Crucial Years. His latest post, dated February 27, is entitled “Heat Pumps For Peace And Freedom.” It is worth going there and reading it (link provided in the article). Bill McKibben says heat pumps could help defeat Vladimir Putin. [CleanTechnica]
Heat pump technician (Photo courtesy of The Heat Pump Store)
World:
¶ “Oil-Producing Nations Stick To Their Plan Despite Ukraine” • Even though oil prices have surged to seven-year highs, a cartel of oil-producing countries say they will increase their output only by a modest amount. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, including Russia, known as Opec+, will not be turning on the taps. [BBC]
¶ “UN Agrees To Create World’s First-Ever Plastics Pollution Treaty In A Blow To Big Oil” • The UN approved an agreement to create the world’s first global plastic pollution treaty, describing it as the most significant environmental deal since the 2015 Paris climate accord. Member states agreed on the outline of a pact to rein in soaring plastic pollution. [CNN]
Plastic on a beach (Thobias Löfqvist, Unsplash)
¶ “Oil Price Rises Again As Buyers Shun Russian Crude” • The cost of oil continue their surge, as traders snap up non-Russian oil. Brent crude – the global benchmark for oil prices – passed $113 a barrel, its highest level since June 2014. But traders are struggling to sell Russian oil, even at a discount. Gas prices also doubled, which could raise energy bills. [BBC]
¶ “100% Electric Vehicles Are 10% Of New Car Sales In Europe In January” • The European passenger plug-in vehicle market scored 156,000 registrations in January (+39% year over year), with battery EVs (+78%) growing significantly faster than plugin hybrid EVs (+11%). The overall market (-2%) is languishing in the worst January in 30 years. [CleanTechnica]
Charging a BMW (Eren Goldman, Unsplash)
¶ “Largest Australian Renewable Energy Deal To Power Critical Infrastructure, Reducing Costs And Emissions ” • IFM Investors and QIC, two of Australia’s largest infrastructure fund managers, have jointly led a new renewable energy program to help reduce electricity costs and greenhouse gas emissions at key Australian infrastructure facilities. [Mirage News]
¶ “North East renewable energy projects await greenlight from council” • Dozens of ‘much needed’ North East renewable energy projects could be created if a county council’s local plan gets the green light later this month. The Northumberland Local Plan is expected to be adopted, laying out a range of proposals and planning policies. [Bdaily]
Wind turbines (Thomas Reaubourg, Unsplash)
¶ “Russian troops take control of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine” • International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director-general Rafael Mariano Grossi has been notified that the Russian military has taken control of the area around Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. With six reactors, it is the largest nuclear plant in Europe. [Power Technology]
US:
¶ “Stellantis Takes The Wraps Off Its First Battery-Electric Jeep” • The first battery-electric Jeep should appeal to lots of people. Shown yesterday in brilliant yellow, it is an emotional vehicle that should have customers banging on the door to get one. Unfortunately, when the company showed off how the Jeep EV looks, it gave us few details. [CleanTechnica]
Jeep EV (Courtesy of Jeep)
¶ “All New Jeep, Chrysler, Ram Products Will Be Electric From 2026” • The big news from Stellantis’ (née Chrysler) big press conference wasn’t really the first-ever, all-new, all-electric Jeep model. It was an unsaid statistic that every new Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, and Ram truck offering will be available as a battery-electric model from 2026. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Elon Musk’s Taxes Were Just About Enough To Cover GM’s Bailout” • Earlier this century, the US government bailed out GM. Last December, the Treasury Department sold the last remaining shares it had acquired from that, and Reuters reported that it lost $11.2 billion overall. In 2021, Elon Musk paid over $11 billion in taxes due to selling Tesla shares. [CleanTechnica]
Elon Musk, 2019 (Bill Ingalls, NASA)
¶ “Eco Wave Moves Pilot To Los Angeles” • Eco Wave Power Global is to relocate its energy conversion unit from the pilot site in Gibraltar to AltaSea’s premises in the Port of Los Angeles as it seeks to scale-up. Eco Wave Power’s increasing interest in the US market, emphasized by the company’s recent listing on Nasdaq Capital Market. [reNews]
¶ “Oyster Creek Generating Station Eyed as Small Nuclear Reactor Site” • Holtec International said it remains open to the possibility of making the decommissioning Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station the site of its first SMR-160, going so far as to designate it one of several reference sites for the small modular nuclear reactor. [The SandPaper]
Have an enchantingly pleasing day.
geoharvey 
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